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Puxi Campus Grades 4-5: A Party of Powerful Poets

June 9, 2022

Poetry is a form of writing that the dictionary describes as, “the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, and elevated thoughts.” However, students in grades 4 and 5 of the Puxi campus learned that poetry is so much more than that. It can be an outlet to express your emotions, explain your feelings, and tell your truth. During week 15, grades 4 and 5 in the primary division celebrated their Poetry Week! Throughout the week, each grade was introduced to different styles of poetry and wrote their own poems to express themselves in different ways.

Grade 4 students started their poetry week by learning about the elements of poetry, including rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. Grade four students let their creativity shine by comparing characters from books, animals, landforms, and even connected their poems to what is being learned in science class!

Next, fourth grade students were introduced to a poem structure called “These Eyes.” This poem taught students about different ways to express yourself. Yes, we can express ourselves through words, but there are other ways as well, including body language and one important body part - your eyes. Students combined the expressiveness of their eyes with words telling how they feel about a variety of things. The fourth-grade teachers were amazed at the creativity and thought put into each poem! Students were able to express their feelings about the world around them, their feelings of happiness and sadness, and tell the readers their dreams. To go along with the poems, each student created a piece of artwork depicting the favorite part of their poem in the pupil of their eye. Fourth grade wrapped up their Poetry Week with the annual Poetry Slam. Students who wished to present their poems participated in the event. Their performances were voted on by their peers, and three were chosen for first, second, and third place.

Meanwhile, grade 5 students started a poetry unit connected to novels they are reading or have read previously. S and S+ students were introduced to Limericks, humorous, 5 lined poems. The theme was “The World Outside My Window.” Students were encouraged to find inspiration in the world around them to create a Limerick based on things they can see in their environment. Students in H level wrote nonsense poems in connection with their current novel study Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In the novel, the author Lewis Carroll took existing poems and make them nonsensical. Students first analyzed these poems with their originals, opening discussions about why the author used this technique in their writing. Students were then asked to write their own nonsense poems. They could create their own original poem, or use existing poems and make them nonsense poems, just like the example in their novel study. At the end of the week, students performed their poems for their classmates during the Poetry Slam in English E-classes.

Overall, students had a fun week of expressing themselves in ways that may be new to some. It allowed for creativity, innovation, and of course fun! The teachers of grades 4 and 5 are so proud of the hard work students put into their poems and performances! Our greatest hope is that students continue to express their feelings through poetry as an outlet for emotions, creativity, and learning!

“You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what’s in your heart.” —Carol Ann Duffy

“A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.” —Dylan Thomas

Written by | Chen Qinli, Alyssa Chapin

Pictures by | Teachers

Edited by | Huang Shiyuan, Kristjan Butler